Cycling Rx

Doctors Order Up a Bike for Patients

The Prescribe-a-Bike program (Tinyurl.com/PrescriptionBikes) allows doctors at Boston Medical Center, in Massachusetts, to write low-income patients prescriptions for a one-year membership to Hubway, the city’s bike-sharing system, for $5, which is $80 less than the regular charge. A free helmet is part of the deal.

According to The Boston Globe, one in four Boston residents is obese, and Kate Walsh, chief executive of Boston Medical Center, believes the program can help. “Regular exercise is key to combating this [obesity] trend, and Prescribe-a-Bike,” she says, “is one important way our caregivers can help patients get the exercise they need to be healthy.”